CONGRATS Dark Siders! What a weekend, huh?! Here are my thoughts on it all...
Thursday - Expo: I arrived around 11:30am and found things to be moving along very nicely. Got bibs/shirts, then had a long lunch at ESPN before heading into the J Center. I found plenty of merch in both the Field House and J Center and got the couple things I really wanted (and more lol!) No lines, no crowds! Alas, also nowhere near as much SW geekiness as last year, though: I never saw any troopers and only heard SW music in the Field House.
Friday - 5K: This Floridian was COLD at the start! I wore a long-sleeved shirt because it looked best with my themed outfit and was really glad I had it. I warmed up once I started running, but was perfectly comfortable throughout the race. Got lots of fun character pics and enjoyed plenty of silliness with friends! I started in the back of A, finished with the back of the back of the back of the packs, lol!
Saturday - 10K: Yes,
I was the Floridian wearing a throwaway layer to the race.
I ditched it before we started, though. I think the 10K was my most fun of the races - there's just something about running with a lightsaber! Got tons of great pics - well done, PhotoPass photogs! - and, despite starting alone, found lots of friends form my running group along the way until we finished with a huge group. I stopped to visit with the 501st, which was a blast, enjoyed a beer at mile 5, and finished feeling great!
Sunday - Half: I haven't seen it mentioned here - was I the only DISer who got stuck outside corral F?! What a fiasco! Came back from a final visit to the potties and found a big group gathered in front of the entrance to F, no one going in. When I got up there, I overheard the volunteers telling people the corral was "at capacity", we were "too late" and we "won't be allowed to run." WHAT???? For those who didn't see it, corral F was
enormously wide to fit all 7,000+ of us... so after arguing back and forth with the volunteers and getting nowhere, people just started walking down the barricades, away from the volunteers, and about 100 or so jumped the barricades to get in. I'm short and wasn't at all sure I could manage it, so bigbig thanks to the gal who encouraged me and then helped me over! Total insanity and a rough way to start, but I'm so glad I was able to! BTW, during this time, every other corral was still letting people in; it was only the F "guards" refusing entry. (Yes, I'll be writing to rD about it - it was a stupid, unsafe situation.)
I wound up starting in F3 and the course congestion never, ever lessened for me. I'm not one who gets frustrated by it, typically, and I'm usually able to just roll with whatever speed the crowd around me is going and enjoy the ride... but I found myself getting really irritated. My first miles were great: crowded, but everyone was moving at a good clip. And then it was like someone pressed a giant brake pedal and nearly the entire road was moving at half my speed. To be clear, this isn't a vent about slow runners/walkers/run-walkers, because I'm one of them! This was produced by the weather, which I know slowed most folks down (as it should), and cramming way too many people into a single corral. Eventually, I just accepted that it was what it was and enjoyed myself
LOVELOVELOVED the battle scene on Bear Island Rd.! LOOOOOOVED!!!!!! I only wish I'd been a bit more awake and alert for it lol!
Had a ton of fun geeking out with the 501st and the movie set photo opps. Really enjoyed seeing all the costumes runners concocted!
I thought both the 10K and half courses were great and hope they'll continue using them in the future. (Until Star Wars land is done - then we'd better be spending some quality time there!)
The weather... was exactly what I expect down here in late April. Yes, even I will agree it was warm... but so much worse is right around the corner, so I enjoyed the more mild conditions of Dark Side while I could.
I'm totally in for another round of Galactic fun next year!